Automatic piano.



No. 841,787. PATENTBD JAN. 22, 1907.

E. DB KLEIST. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.'16. l90 5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

flfiormeys Wzresses: m wv/dod, Jzverefim No. 841,787. 7 PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. E. DE KLEIST. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed November 16, 1905. Serial No. 287,636.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE DE KLEIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of automatic pianos which are provided with means for rapidly vibrating the hammers so that they strike the strings numerous times for each note and produce a mandolin effect.

The object of my invention is to improve the mandolin-section of the piano-action with a view of simplifying its construction and rendering its parts easy of access for adjusting and rep airing purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary cross-sections of a pneumatically-operated piano-action embodying the invention, showing different positions of the parts. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A indicates a wind-chest of any ordinary or well-known construction, and B one of the motor-pneumatics of the piano-action which is controlled by the customary tracker-board and perforated music-sheet. (Not shown in the drawings.)

0 indicates one of the hammers of the mandolin-action arranged on the rear side of the wind-chest A and carried by an upright lever C, pivoted at its lower end upon a longitudinal rod d. This rod is mounted in a horizontal supporting-bar E, extending lengthwise of the instrument.

F is an actuating or vibrating device for swinging the several hammer-levers in one direction, preferably away from the strings. The device shown in the drawings consists of a rotary horizontal drum or cylinder 8.1. ranged immediately below said levers and having annular rows of trip pins or projections f, one row for each lever. These pins are adapted to trip over a wear plate or tongue 9, secured to the lower end of the hammer-lever on the rear side of its pivot. The rearward stroke of the hammer-lever is effected by a spring h, preferably a coilspring, having one of its branches secured to the front side of the hammer-lever and the other to a vertically swinging controllinglever I. The latter is fulcrumed between its ends, preferably on the same pivot-rod (Z as the hammer-lever, as shown.

The lever I has a longitudinal slot i, in which the lower end of the hammer-lever plays, and this slot is so arranged that when the rear arm of the controlling-lever is raised the rear end of the slot bears against the adjacent edge of the hammer-lever and causes it to swing upward with the controlling-lever sufficiently to withdraw its tongue from the path of the pins f. The controlling-lever is normally held in the last-named position by a spring j, secured at its lower end to the supporting-bar E and at its upper end to the front arm of the controlling-lever. The front arm of the controlling-lever is depressed by the movable board of one of the motor-pneumatics B or equivalent means. In the construction shown the movement of the pneumatic is transmitted to the controlling-lever by a rod or sticker K.

The upward stroke of each controlling-lever I is preferably limited by a button Z, arranged above its front arm and carried by an adjusting-screw Z, the adjusting-screws of the several controlling-levers being mounted in a horizontal bar L, extending across the same.

It will now be understood that the rear arm of the controlling-lever is nornnlly elev'atcd, holding the hammer-lever out of the path of the pins of the actuating-cylinder E, as shown in Fig. Nhcn, however, the corresponding motor pneumatic is collapsed, the front arm of the con trolling-lever is elevated and its rear arm depressed, whereby the tongue of the hannner-levcr is brought into the path of said actuating-pins. While the parts remain temporarily in this position, which is shown in Fig. 2, the hammer rap idly vibrated by the alternate action of the pins f and the spring ft m an obvious manner, causing the hammer to strike the string repeatedly for every note and producing a mandolin etl'ect. As soon as the pneumatic is expanded in a manner common to such piano-actions, the spring j lowers the front arm of the i'ontrollingdever, lifting the hammer-lever out of engagement with the actuating-cylinder E and allowing the hammer to remain at rest until the corresponding pneumatic is again collapsed.

The ham iner-actuating cylinder may be driven by any suitable n'ieans. In the construction shown in the drawings it is driven from a shaft M by a belt m and pulleys m m ICC TIO

said shaft being driven in turn from an electric motor N by worm-gearing n n.

The spring h, which swings the hammerlever against the string, is arranged on the upper side of the controlling-lever I, where it is easily accessible for adjusting or renewing.

it, when required I claim. as my invention 1. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination of a vibrating device, a hammer-lever pivoted adjacent to said device and having a projection adapted to be engaged thereby or swinging said leverupper side of the controlling-lever, means {or normally withdrawing the controlling-lever from the vibrating device, and means for moving the last-named lever toward said de-- vice, substantially as set forth.

2. In a musical instrument of the'character described, the combination of a vibrating device, a hammer-lever arranged above said device and provided with-a projection adapted to be engaged. thereby for swinging said lever in one direction, a vertically-swinging controlling-lever also arranged above said vibrating device and having a part arranged to bear against the rearside of the hammer-lever to cause the same to swing upward with the controlling-lever, a spring acting to swing the hammer-lever in the opposite direction and arranged on the upper side of the controllinglever, means for normally withdrawing the controlling-lever from the vibrating device, and means for moving the last-named lever toward said device, substantially as set forth.

3. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination of a vibrating device, a hammer-l ever arranged above said device and provided with a projection adapted to be engaged thereby for swinging said lever in one direction, a vertically-swinging controlling-lever also arranged above said vibrat-ing'device and having a part arranged to bear against the rear side of the hammer-lever to cause the same to swing'upward with the controlling-lever, a coil-spring arranged on the upper side of the controlling-lever and having its branches connected. to the latter and the hammer-lever, means for norn'xaily withdrawing the controlling-lever from the vibrating device, and means for moving the 1ast-nan1ed lever toward said device, subst antially as set forth.

4. In a musical instrum ent of the character described, the combination of a vibrating device, a hammer lever pivoted above said device and having a projection adapted to be engaged thereby for swinging said lever in one direction, a spring for swinging the hammer-lever in the opposite direction, a controlling-lever also arranged above said vibrating device and having a part which engages the hammerdever and compels the same to move away from the vibrating device with the controlling-lever, a spring for normally withdrawing the controlling-lever from the vibrating device, and a motor-pneumatic connected with the controlling-lever to move the same toward. the vibrating device,

substantially as set forth.

yy my hand this 20th day of Octobe EUGENE DE KLEIST. 

